Winnipeg duo creating must-call radio

By Aaron Epp  |  Friday, November 13, 2009

Greg Glatz and Marlo Boux host GodTalk on CJOB 680.

WINNIPEG—A mentor has advised them that to be successful, they have to create "must-listen radio," but they're not content with that. Greg Glatz and Marlo Boux want to create "must-call radio," where listeners join the discussion—whether they agree with the opinions presented or not.

The duo are the hosts of GodTalk, a two-hour radio show that has been airing Sunday nights at 9:00 p.m. on CJOB 680 for close to 12 years.

"I just want it to start a conversation with people—people who want to talk about God but may not feel there's place or platform for them to do that," says Boux. Glatz agrees.

"Talk radio sometimes deals with inane and superficial things," he says. "We are trying to do talk radio about what people believe or don't believe, whether they're atheists, agnostics, skeptics, seekers or believers."

Glatz, also known as the Rock 'n' Roll Preacher, has been the pastor at Central Baptist Church on Ellice Avenue for 16 years. The 45-year-old took over GodTalk seven months ago when host David Balzer left the program to teach communications at Canadian Mennonite University.

Glatz had been Balzer's co-host for two years. During that time, the show was more guest-driven instead of focusing on the callers. Glatz is quick to praise Balzer's good work, but also believes the change in direction is important.

It stems in part from the doctoral work he's doing through George Fox University in Portland, Oregon on the subject of the emerging church. His advisor has come up with an acronym Glatz believes is key: EPIC. People want to experience and participate in something that includes inspiring images to connect them to God.

"If that participation part isn't there, they won't connect," Glatz says. "The days of people going to church and getting a content-dump are over. Whether it's church on Sunday morning or GodTalk on Sunday nights, people want to experience something."

Boux, a 35-year-old stay-at-home mother of three, became friends with Glatz after she sent him a message on Twitter, playfully critiquing one of his first shows without Balzer.

It wasn't long before Glatz invited her to join him in the studio. The pair have been co-hosting the program ever since. They also write about the show on their blog.

Glatz and Boux are currently working on the show for free. CJOB doesn't provide any money and funding from Family Life Network, which employed Balzer, ended after he left the show. The hosts are hoping small and medium businesses will step in to sponsor GodTalk. Glatz says that eventually, he would like to see it become a daily program that's aired in prime time and syndicated across North America.

"I won't be happy until that happens," he says. "It's not that I want to be heard by more people. The show needs to be in prime time because the culture wants it. People want to have these conversations."

Glatz's friend and radio mentor, former CJOB broadcaster Larry Updike, agrees. In his opinion, to create good talk radio, the subject matter needs to be compelling and the hosts need to have opinions.

"They don't have to be dogmatic, but they can't be beige. Beige is death in radio. [Glatz and Boux] have never had issues with that," Updike says.

"I like the way they accommodate other points of view without relinquishing their own convictions…[GodTalk] really is contemporary, post-modern talk radio and it's a really fine product."

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